Ultrasound is becoming an increasingly used, non-invasive imaging technique for examining ophthalmic (e.g. eye) tissue to asses tissue health, trauma or disease. With ultrasound imaging, high frequency acoustic waves are transmitted into the tissue and the corresponding echo signals are detected and analyzed. One or more characteristics of the echo signals such as their amplitude, phase and frequency shift are analyzed and represented in an image of the tissue.
One potential danger with ultrasound imaging is if the energy delivered into the tissue is great enough to cause heating of the tissue and/or cavitation in fluids. These effects are particularly dangerous when ultrasound signals are applied to the eye.
While most ultrasound operators are trained to apply a safe level of ultrasound energy to ophthalmic or other sensitive tissues, such examinations may be performed on the battlefield, at accident sites or in otherwise chaotic situations where mistakes can be made. In addition, human error may cause an operator to forget to set the transmit power of an ultrasound imaging system to the appropriate level before examining sensitive tissue.